In Dhulia, a Brahmin priest lived in a room adjoining the mandali’s. Every morning he would get up early and loudly chant Hindu shlokas (verses) from the Shastras (Scriptures). The mandali were complaining about him in front of Baba on Sunday, 14 July 1929, and Baba observed:
Everywhere in the world, in the name of prayer and worship, this sort of useless babbling is going on. Nothing is gained by it; it has no substance. Those who practice it derive nothing from it. Do they for a minute think that loud noises can bring results? For years on end, it has been happening, and it will go on for years to come. For ages, the Brahmins, the Maulvis, the Dasturs and the priests have been muttering hired prayers, and they are actually paid for such drivel! But not the slightest advantage has been gained by anyone as a result.
The reason is that none of them does it sincerely or wholeheartedly. Their prayers are nothing more than the vocal cord’s useless prattle with no heart or feeling in it. Their minds’ intellect, attention and thoughts wander here and there, and this idle mumbo jumbo goes on. If it is done with a clear mind and with all sincerity, one’s prayers reach straight to God. God wants honesty and an open heart – not an outward show of meaningless chatter.
From any corner of the world, heartfelt remembrance of God, even by the worst sinner or the most worthless and lowest person, immediately reaches God’s ears. I am deaf to the sound of that Brahmin priest’s chanting, though it is so near. I cannot hear it because it does not touch me. It has no effect upon me. Any type of loud, insincere prayer from any quarter leaves us Masters unmoved because it is only noise and carries no heart. Such dry flat prayers, however loud or lengthy, or done over a long period of years, have no effect on us Masters.
-www.lordmeher.org, p1042
July, 1929; Dhulia